Ridgecrest Auto Repair

Few things strike fear into a car owner’s heart like the words “blown head gasket” or “cracked cylinder.” These issues aren’t just expensive — they can mean the difference between saving your engine or replacing it entirely. A head gasket seals the space between your engine block and cylinder head, keeping oil, coolant, and combustion gases where they belong. When it fails, symptoms include: White smoke from the exhaust (coolant burning) Milky oil or bubbling in the radiator Overheating and loss of coolant Rough idle or power loss A cracked cylinder, on the other hand, often results from prolonged overheating or poor maintenance. It can cause similar signs — misfires, coolant loss, and oil contamination — but the damage is deeper and harder to repair. Ignoring either problem can quickly turn a drivable car into a junkyard candidate. Regular cooling system maintenance, watching t ... read more